{clean} Smoked Chipotle Peach Salsa

I love salsa! And I love trying to come up with new twist on salsa. This one was inspired by a smoky mango store bought one I tried and loved. This was a big hit at a recent cookout!

{clean} Smoked Chipotle Peach Salsa

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe peaches (pitted & diced), I left the skin on
• 1-2 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (I removed the seeds to reduce heat)
• 1 shallot (diced)
• 2 red chile peppers, large (these are mild and can be subbed with red pepper), (diced)
• 3 cloves of roasted garlic (minced), I bought it preroasted in deli
• 1-3 Tbps of fresh cilantro (minced)
• 1/2-1 tsp smoked paprika
• juice of a lime
• sea salt to taste

Directions:

1. I took one pitted peach and chipotle pepper(s) and added it to the vitamix for a few seconds to create a "sauce" for the salsa.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to a bowl, then add the "sauce" and stir. If you have the time, let the salsa sit overnight in the fridge to enhance the flavors.

NOTE: I left some of the ingredients with ranges of measurements...You will have to play around with the ingredients a bit to get it perfect for you and your family. Enjoy!

Strawberry Chia Syrup

I am telling you for the 3,456th time to buy a Vitamix machine. It's the best thing that ever happened to my eating clean lifestyle. Plus, it comes with a 7 year warranty! Oh, and basically self cleans itself. 

Chia seeds are packed full of fiber, protein, antioxidants and Omega-3s. The Vitamix does a fantastic job at making them disappear so there is no trace of them. Read more about Chia Seeds here: Chia Seeds {Nature's Tiny Powerhouse} 

I made this with strawberries we picked this past weekend with the kids! Teaching your child that food doesn't just magically show up on a store shelf is a very valuable life lesson!

Strawberry Chia Syrup

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cups fresh strawberries
• 1 cup all natural Maple Syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 Tbps chia seeds

Directions:

1) Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.

NOTE: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week. Serve hot or cold.

{clean} Taco Seasoning Mix

I love all things Mexican food. This is an easy universal mix to make and you can double or triple it and have on hand for the next recipe. I tend to just make as I need it. 

{clean} Taco Seasoning Mix

• 1 Tbps chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 Tbps cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp paprika (I use smoked paprika often)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

NOTE: If you want this mix hotter, add another 1 Tbps chili powder. I made it more mild because I have young kids. And/or add some cayenne pepper to heat things up. As another option, you can add hot sauce to whatever prepared meal you made to customize everyone's heat levels.

I add this complete recipe to about 1 lb of meat (usually chicken). You can add all or half, it's up to you.

{clean} Quick Super Spaghetti Sauce

My family enjoyed this sauce so much that I decided to create a blog entry for it.  Pureeing vegetables is a great way to sneak in vegetables to sauces and soups.  

Carrots are great because they are so sweet! Plus, carrots are packed with vitamin A and a host of health benefits including beautiful skin, cancer prevention, and anti-aging. 

Sauce from Costco

Ingredients:

• 1 40 oz jar of White Linen Collection Marinara Sauce
• 1 6 oz can no sodium added tomato paste (I get organic at Costco)
• 5-6 large carrots, peeled

These directions are for a vitamix. I am not sure how well a regular blender will puree the carrots without cooking them down first. 

Directions:

1) Blend raw carrots until creamy.

2) Add sauce and tomato paste. Blend until combined well.

3) Continue on high until sauce is warmed in vitamix, pour into a stove top pan and heat, or microwave.

Serve over spaghetti squash, sautéed garlic spinach, and/or whole grain pasta. Top with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Rao's Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce

My friend, Ivy, has been raving about this spaghetti sauce for as long as I've known her.  She posted recently that she had the most AMAZING meal at Rao's Restaurant in Vegas.  It peaked my interested again and I was on a mission to taste this wonderful sauce.

 I've been making most of my sauces from scratch lately but there are days that I just don't want to cook.  I've tried many jarred spaghetti sauces and many of them taste watered down and down right nasty. My kid's palate is now advanced enough to know a good quality sauce over....well...uh....salt and water in a jar. Ok, maybe it doesn't have to be that advanced for spaghetti taste testing. You get my point.

Ivy didn't disappoint. This is hands down the best jarred marinara sauce I have had.  It is full of flavor. It is all natural. It has imported Italian tomatoes. It's the bomb. Right out of the jar it is perfect. I can't wait to try this on spaghetti squash. 

You may be thinking...why don't I know about this sauce? Is it really on the shelves of the local grocery store?  Yes, it is. I found this at Kroger.  The thing is folks, it doesn't come cheap.  It was reg $8.99 at Kroger and $1 off at the time.  If you are wanting to make delicious Italian meal and don't want to fuss with making your own sauce, give Rao's a try. They have many different flavors and I am betting that they are all just as good as the Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce we had. 

I sautéed orange and yellow peppers (what I had on hand) to add to the sauce and served it on gluten free pasta. It was awesome! I will be buying this again. It is worth the extra money if you don't want to sacrifice taste and quality.

Here's a link of a great way to "stretch" the marinara sauce a little further.... Clean Cuisine: Rao's Marinara 

Stop up on this when on sale. I have found it as low as $6.50 at Super Target.

Local friends: You can find it at Tasteful Times in Fishers, Indiana. Super local small businesses! 

  

CHICKEN MARIACHI PIZZA

I have always loved the flavor in Donato's Chicken Mariachi Pizza. That should come to no surprise to any of you that know my love affair with Mexican food. I knew as soon as I started this journey that it would be top on my list to create my own {clean} version of it. 

Chicken Mariachi Pizza

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 6oz can of {all natural, low sodium} Tomato Paste
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Coriander
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp Sea or Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tsp Oregano

1) Mix tomato paste with one tomato paste can full of water (or 1/2 cup if you like to measure), stir until well blended.

2) Add all other ingredients and stir.

NOTE: This sauce is enough to make approximately 3 Medium Pizzas. This is a MILD sauce. Feel free to add Crushed Red Pepper or Cayenne Pepper for heat.

Toppings:

• 1/2 lb Chicken breast -Cooked (diced into small cubes)
• {all natural} Smoked Provolone Cheese (shredded)
• {all natural} Mild Cheddar cheese (shredded)
• Roma Tomatoes (sliced)
• {all natural} Black Olives (sliced)-best are at the olive bar
• Jalapeño Peppers (sliced and seeded) 

1) Make the WHEAT PIZZA DOUGH or 100% WHOLE WHEAT CRUST

2) Top pizza dough with Mariachi Sauce

3) Add toppings to your liking and top with cheeses.

4) Bake on pizza stone at 450° for 10-15 minutes. (Adjust accordingly the first time you bake in your oven)

NOTE: 

When {eating clean} try to avoid bags of processed shredded cheeses. It's always best to get blocks of fresh cheese and shred at home. (Read those LABELS) It's often hard to find good quality smoked cheeses that don't break the bank. If you find a smoked cheddar instead, use it and get regular provolone. Or simply try them non-smoked and see if you like it.

Turkey Wontons with Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce

I had no idea making my own wontons would be so simple. These are baked, instead of fried, which cuts down on the fat and calories of the recipe. Also, I used the super lean turkey breast. My fave! These would make a fantastic appetizer to bring to a party if you are wanting to bring something healthy. 

Turkey Wontons w/ Ginger-Soy Sauce

Ingredients

• 1.25 lbs {extra lean} turkey breast
• 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 Tbsp {low sodium} soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp  sherry
• 2 Tbps water
• 1 Tbps sesame oil
• 1 Tbps honey
• 2-3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger 
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 2 shallots (diced)
• 3 Tbsp {low sodium} chicken stock
• 1 package of {all natural} wonton wrappers

1)  Add turkey, 3 Tbps chicken stock, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook until turkey is no longer pink. (make sure to chop the turkey into small pieces as it cooks)

2) Mix hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sherry, water, oil, honey, garlic, and ginger in a bowl.

3) Turn off heat and pour sauce over turkey and allow to sit for a few minutes. This is your mixture.

4) Scoop a small amount of mixture onto wonton wrapper, brush edges with water, fold and seal edges.

5) Lightly spray an oven-safe pan with oil and place potstickers on pan.

6)  Bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes.


NOTE:  I think next time I make this I will run the turkey mixture thru the processor to make a smooth texture.  Also, I made 24 wontons this time around and had about half of the mixture left. I easily could have made all 48 that came in the package. I used Nasoya wonton wrappers  found at my Kroger in the Organic section.


Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce


Ingredients:

• 2 Tbps water
• 2 Tbps {low sodium} soy sauce
• 2 Tbps rice vinegar
• 2 Tbps honey
• 1/4 tps ground ginger

1) Mix all ingredients in a bowl and serve.  

NOTE: Feel free to add fresh garlic to this as well, I ran out! Or even a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes for heat. 

{clean} RED ENCHILADA SAUCE

Ingredients:

• 2 c water
• 1 c {low sodium} chicken stock
• 2 8 oz cans of tomato sauce (low sodium)
•  2-3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp sea or kosher salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

1)  Add water, tomato sauce, and spices to pan and bring to boil.

2)  Mix cornstarch and a small amount of water(1 tbsp or so) in a bowl until dissolved.

3)  Once dissolved add to boiling mixture and stir.

4)  Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until it thickens.

Mama's Pizza Sauce

After mastering the dough, it was time to set out to make a homemade {clean} sauce!  This recipe is very easy to make and is a crowd pleaser every time. 

Even though this is a simple recipe, picking the right ingredients is key to having a {clean} sauce. And if you are not looking at the labels you can set yourself up for a big pot of SODIUM sauce! When shopping for your items look for 100% Natural and check out the amount of sodium in each can.  

Here's some that have low sodium that I have used in the past from Kroger:

This is my favorite brand of crushed tomatoes so far and makes the best quality sauce!

(I found it in the Italian section at my local Kroger)

Mama's Pizza Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1  32oz can of {100% Natural} Crushed Tomatoes
• 2  6oz cans of {100% Natural} Tomato Paste
• 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• 1 Tbps (or more) Fresh Basil (1 tsp dried will do)
• 1/3 c Agave Nectar
• 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 4 Garlic Cloves, Minced (I usually use 8)
• 2-3 tsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp Kosher or Sea Salt

1)  In a saucepan, saute garlic in oil until tender (or you start to smell the garlic)

2)  Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. 

3)  Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, give or take. 

 NOTE:  This makes enough for two batches of the wheat pizza dough.  If you have leftovers the sauce may be refrigerated for up to 1 week.  Keep in mind, you can "tweak" your recipe to make it sweeter or spicier by adding more or less agave and crushed red pepper flakes.  I rarely measure when making this. Shocker, I know!

{SECRET} SPAGHETTI SAUCE

My family loves spaghetti! Who doesn't? After starting the {eat clean} journey, it was out with the jarred sauce and in with the homemade sauce.


This recipe is special, because it has a secret...SHHHHHH!!! 


Ok, I'll fess up, but it's up to you if you share this info with the others in the family.  It's packed full of carrots!!! Yes, carrots! If you are trying to get your kids (or yourself) to eat more vegetables each day, then give it a try! You might be surprised how fast they gobble it up.

Ingredients

• 1 c Pureed Carrots
• 4 Shallots (minced)
• 8 Garlic Cloves (minced)
• 1 tsp Basil
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 2 cans of {no salt added} 100% Natural Tomato Paste 
• 2 cans of {no salt added} 100% Natural Tomato Sauce (15oz)
• 1 c Low Sodium Chicken Stock or water
• 2-3 tsp Olive Oil

1) Saute minced shallots and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until softened.

2) Add all other ingredients to pan and stir.

3) Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

4) Serve over whole wheat pasta. Top with grated Romano cheese.

NOTE: This will make a good amount of sauce.  I like to have extra on hand in the fridge for quick lunches.

In the past I have always depended on pre-shredded {chemical enriched} cheeses in my family's meals. I'm learning a lot about the different types of cheese on this journey.  The other day, I made my first "true" stop at the cheese counter at the grocery store.  Let's just say it was beyond overwhelming.! However, I didn't feel too defeated since the lady working the counter said she has a book to study the cheeses. She went on to say she learns a lot of her knowledge from shoppers. I will do my best to share my cheese "findings". Maybe you know all there is to know about cheese...and if you do, please share! One of my new faves is Pecorino Romano which is made from Sheep's milk and is a firm and salty cheese. 

KID APPROVED??? YES! (and even a "this is the best sauce in the whole world!")